The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee outraised its Republican counterpart in March, ending the month with more than $22 million in cash on hand for the competitive midterms.

Both the DSCC and the National Republican Senatorial Committee said they posted their best fundraising months of the cycle in March. The DSCC announced Wednesday it raised $8.1 million last month, bringing its total raised for the cycle to more than $74 million — $21 million more than the NRSC. The DSCC paid off its remaining debt from 2012 last month.

The NRSC announced Tuesday that it brought in $6.4 million and ended March with $15.9 million in cash on hand. It paid off its debt last year. In announcing their numbers, Senate Republicans characterized the strong quarter as a sign of momentum for the party, which expanded its playing field to states like Colorado and New Hampshire in recent months. Republicans must net six seats to win back the majority this year.

Democrats emphasized the importance of the committee's fundraising to help incumbents and candidates combat an influx of early outside spending.

"We need our supporters who care about having a Senate that fights for the middle class to continue to help us win each month and fund the grassroots operations we need to win," DSCC Executive Director Guy Cecil said in a statement.